CLEVELAND: GUARDS: KYRIE IRVING is the real deal, a heady playmaker and near-elite shooter. He should emerge as the NBA's next great point guard this season . . . Rookie DION WAITERS has a chance to step right into the starting lineup. He can get to the rim and generally makes good choices withthe ball. The only thing holding him back is defense after playing college ball in Syracuse's lazy zone . . . C.J. MILES will reportedly start at either the two or three spot, but he really needs to find the range on his shot again for him to stick in the starting lineup . . . Gunning combo guard DANIEL GIBSON is looking like he'll be their sixth man . . . The Cavs are still trying to figure out their second unit. JEREMY PARGO figures to be Irving's backup, but DONALD SLOAN is a better defender and could eventually pass him for this role, which doesn't mean many minutes unless Irving gets injured again. FORWARDS: TRISTAN THOMPSON is trying to add a perimeter shot to his repertoire. Don't count on him becoming David West, but he should improve offensively to go along with his rebounding and shot-blocking . . . ALONZO GEE returns as the starting small forward, excelling on the defensive end, but without a polished enough offensive game to earn 35 minutes per night . . . OMRI CASSPI was in and out of the rotation late in the year as he battled knee issues. It's getting close to make-or-break time for him . . . JON LEUER is a solid stretch four who has a real chance at a rotation spot . . . SAMARDO SAMUELS reportedly dropped some weight in his effort to find some minutes . . . LUKE WALTON is an unofficial member of the coaching staff . . . Undrafted rookie KEVIN JONES could make some noise with his work on the offensive boards . . . LUKE HARANGODY is more of a D-League talent. CENTERS: ANDERSON VAREJAO's wrist should be 100 percent, and Sideshow Anderson should be the same relentless, double-double threat he's always been . . . Rookie TYLER ZELLER is a 7-footer with some nice offensive skills -- he can knock down a jump shot in the half court, and run the floor. He'll struggle to defend in space, but made a living drawing charges at UNC, and should be able to play 20+ minutes as a rookie.

UTAH: GUARDS: MO WILLIAMS will get a crack at running the point in Utah. He's more of a combo guard, but he'll do fine in an offense that revolves around the bigs . . . RANDY FOYE is a gunning combo guard who will step in as Utah's sixth man . . . ALEC BURKS started to come on late last year, making Raja Bell expendable. He'll come off the bench, but if he can start knocking down perimeter shots, he's in for a much bigger role . . . Yeah, that's right, EARL WATSON and JAMAAL TINSLEY are both still around. And they're both riding pine in Salt Lake . . . KEVIN MURPHY is a cagey scorer from tiny Tennessee Tech (no word on his Golden Tee skills). FORWARDS: PAUL MILLSAP was Utah's best all-around player last season and will be playing for a new contract. He should be able to keep his minutes despite Utah's young bigs behind him . . . GORDON HAYWARD will probably slide to the two. He has a chance for a breakout year after a strong finish to 2011-12 . . . MARVIN WILLIAMS gets a fresh start in Utah after a disappointing run in Atlanta. He figures to have a similar complementary role with the Jazz . . . DERRICK FAVORS is a long-term solution in the frontcourt. His offensive game is coming on, and he's already a far better defender than Al Jefferson . . . Slam dunk champion JEREMY EVANS and DeMARRE CARROLL will both provide energy off the bench. CENTERS: Like Millsap, AL JEFFERSON will hit free agency after the season. He's an incredibly limited player, a great scorer in the low post, but incapable of any other contributions and a huge liability on defense . . . ENES KANTER is still a few years away from a starting job. He has some rough edges to his game, but really had no problem adjusting to the physicality of the NBA.

The Jazz will try to slow down Kyrie Irving and the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers, who are wrapping up a five-game road trip Saturday night.

Utah (21-19) has not played since a 104-97 victory over Miami on Monday. Coach Tyrone Corbin gave the Jazz the next two days off before they returned to practice Thursday.

"It was good while it lasted," top scorer Al Jefferson said.

The Jazz are one of three teams to play a league-low 16 home games to this point. The contest with the Heat began a stretch of 10 of 12 at home for Utah.

"I think we're not exactly where we want to be but we're in the range of being in position to get ourselves in the playoffs, and to take a good run here with this homestand that we have, we'll put ourselves in a good position," Corbin said.

Another team that has played 16 at home is Cleveland (10-31), which ended a three-game slide with Wednesday's 93-88 victory at Portland. Irving bounced back from consecutive 15-point efforts to score 31 as he outdueled rookie point guard Damian Lillard.

Irving averaged 21.0 points on 51.5 percent shooting as a rookie last season in two defeats to the Jazz, who have won five straight in this series.

Former Cavs All-Star point guard Mo Williams is out for Utah following thumb surgery. Jamaal Tinsley has started in his place the last 12 games, with the Jazz winning seven times.

Jefferson, who had 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Heat for his third straight double-double, insists that Utah won't overlook Cleveland.

"We've got to be ready to play, we've got to treat them just like we treated the defending champs," Jefferson said. "Go out there with that (same) kind of mindset and that kind of confidence because that's the worst to lose a game that you're supposed to win."

The Jazz will see a familiar face when C.J. Miles returns to face his former team for the first time. A second-round pick by Utah in 2005, Miles spent his first seven seasons with the club before signing with Cleveland in the offseason.

Paul Millsap, the Jazz's second-leading scorer, was a second-round pick the year after Miles - who has started his last eight games for the Cavs.

"We still keep in touch a lot," Millsap said. "I'm happy to see him do well out there. Hopefully he can continue to do it, just not Saturday."

The Cavs know they are rebuilding with two second-year players and a rookie in their starting lineup with the injured Anderson Varejao out. In addition, rookie second-leading scorer Dion Waiters has been coming off the bench lately.

"All these losses that we've accumulated this year and the heartaches that we've had are going to make us a better basketball team in the future, and I truly believe that," Scott said. "But you have to go through this process."